Kylie Minogue, Kylie Christmas - album review

Download: White December; Cried Out Christmas; Christmas Wrapping

Kylie Christmas

Perhaps the biggest salvo in the annual broadside of festive albums, Kylie’s Christmas is wearyingly hard going at times.

One’s heart sinks right from the fanfare of overblown cheer and bogus goodwill that is “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year”, which like much of the album is awash in syrupy orchestration.

It’s not that the repertoire lacks variety – alongside the likes of “Let It Snow” and “Winter Wonderland” are covers of Connie Francis and Chrissie Hynde, a new Chris Martin song, and a duet with a zomboid Iggy Pop on the old Waitresses hit “Christmas Wrapping”, notable for its serpentine bassline.

But they’re let down by the lack of character in Kylie’s delivery, most notably on “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, a posthumous duet with Frank Sinatra, where his easy, relaxed manner is in sharp contrast to her discomfort.